~Chapter 65~
The staff, unable to refuse Blake’s request—or perhaps his command in disguise—looked toward the curtain.
Through it, they could see Lily sitting there.
“How does she look?” Blake asked.
“She looks… beautiful.”
“Yeah, she’s beautiful. No, damn it. That’s not what I meant.”
“Ah… sorry. That’s just the first thing I noticed.”
“Don’t tell me the obvious. Does she look happy?”
“She’s smiling a little.”
“That’s just her usual expression.”
But the staff could gather no more information. To see if Blake was doing well, he had to return to Lily himself.
Before leaving, Blake paid an additional 500 yubel—a fee to watch objectively how Lily reacted during the conversation.
The staff usually earned 1,300 yubel per week, but Blake’s bonus already exceeded that.
With a sense of duty, the staff watched them very carefully.
From what he could see, Lily’s reactions weren’t bad. She smiled, answered him, and chatted along.
Compared to her, Blake seemed overly tense.
But what was he worried about?
Amid the staff’s curiosity, Blake returned.
“How was it?”
“Normal, I’d say.”
“Here’s another 500 yubel.”
“I’ve observed hundreds of couples at this restaurant. I can assure you, the lady is not uncomfortable. If I may advise, the gentleman seems very nervous. But once the food is served, that tension should disappear. The chef is my friend, so I’ll make sure the appetizers are ready quickly.”
“Perfect. Move quickly.”
The staff, now earning double their weekly pay, moved more efficiently than a 1,000-yubel assassin.
By the time Blake returned to Lily, the food had started to arrive almost simultaneously.
Lily spoke softly to him:
“You’ve been stepping away a lot today.”
“Uh… yeah, I suppose.”
She was the flower of society. She had a good idea of what Blake was up to in the hall, but she found it amusing and let him do as he pleased.
“Alright. What were we talking about earlier?”
“You excused yourself briefly.”
“Then let’s stop that topic…”
Blake tried to think of another subject but found it difficult.
He felt like one of those foolish nobles he usually ignored—some inherited their parents’ business but barely knew how to sign documents, let alone manage affairs.
“Um… about your parents… no, I don’t want boring talk here. Ah, is the food to your liking?”
“I’ve only eaten the salad so far, and you’re already asking that.”
“Well, maybe the salad tastes like meat, who knows.”
Finally, Lily calmed him down.
“We’ve always talked easily about anything, haven’t we?”
“…Yes.”
“Then just relax. Something fun will come to mind.”
So Blake stayed quiet.
As sweat began forming, Lily remembered an amusing piece of gossip.
“While walking around society, I overheard something funny. Count Capri likes to pull out hair. And apparently, he once twisted the hair into a ribbon and got caught.”
“What? Their family just signed a contract to import 100 tons of mid-grade wheat into the duchy.”
“As long as no hair got mixed in with the wheat, it should be fine.”
“Any other gossip?”
“Are you sure you won’t be shocked?”
“I’ll try.”
Lily leaned closer as if to whisper a secret.
Stories poured out—shocking, strange, and amusing.
They talked while roasted chicken, cooked salmon, and salad dishes slowly cooled.
Suddenly, Blake recalled his childhood.
Even then, he and Lily had chatted like this, gossiping and laughing.
Lily, with a missing tooth, often exaggerated her words, sometimes losing her balance. Blake, always watching carefully, would catch her quickly.
It had been fun.
They once hid for 15 minutes, mistaking a large piece of wood for a person, just to avoid being caught by adults.
She had completely forgotten those times, which made Blake slightly nostalgic.
“And you know…”
Even now, he felt joy.
He hadn’t expected being with another woman could make him smile like this.
It felt like floating on clouds, as if drunk, though it was just an ordinary day.
Even the neatly placed dishes she habitually arranged seemed endearing; the food between them looked perfect.
Finally, Blake admitted to himself:
“Maybe… I like her.”
It wasn’t just a simple liking—he had been waiting for her for a very long time.
And he hoped Lily felt the same.
Their meal was nearly finished when Lily stood.
“I’ll just step out for a moment.”
The restaurant and the restroom were separated by a garden.
It was really an excuse—she wanted to walk alone and collect her thoughts.
Strangely, she felt unsettled.
It wasn’t that she disliked Blake; he was difficult but a good person.
The problem… was herself.
“As Blake said, the night view here is beautiful.”
The garden glowed despite the dark night, lit by enchanted stones.
She sat on the fountain’s edge and exhaled deeply.
She had always been unlucky. That had been her long-time companion.
So experiencing peace and calm like this felt strange.
A fancy restaurant, a good man trying to impress her, everything…
And after a day of tension, nothing went wrong.
She realized maybe… her misfortune had finally gone away.
She didn’t want much: just to live normally, enjoy simple things, and have good days ahead.
“Let’s head back.”
Every minute Lily delayed, Blake would age a year in worry. She imagined him anxiously waiting and smiled.
Yes… only good things would happen from now on.
She no longer wished to die.
The mornings that used to feel terrible now seemed bearable.
Maybe she could live happily with the kind, strong people of Winter Castle…
Perhaps even enjoy every day with Blake Wuphus.
Then she saw someone’s feet approaching from the garden.
She smiled warmly.
“Oh my, Blake. You came to see me here? You really are sometimes like a very affectionate grandmother, like those in fairy tales.”
But there weren’t just one pair of feet.
Her body stiffened from years of past abuse before she could even look up.
“Let’s go, Lily Hedwig.”
A voice colder than ice.
It was the Marquis and Marchioness Hedwig—her parents, the ones who had married her off to Count Fox.
They had tried to ruin her using Count Fox, and when he failed, they abandoned him.
To Lily, Count Fox had been learned fear, but her parents were bone-deep terror.
The Hedwigs signaled to a servant, who roughly grabbed her.
Lily finally resisted:
“You have no right to do this. I am an adult and independent now!”
“You’ve sullied our name long enough, Lily Hedwig. This cannot continue.”
“You were the ones who tried to make me appear insane!”
“Isn’t it true? If you were sane, how dare you behave this way?”
Before she could speak, the Marchioness slapped her cheek painfully.
“Bring her here immediately.”
The servant dragged Lily, and she realized they hadn’t come to talk—they came to take her.
They had planned this ever since Count Fox failed.
They would have condemned her as a witch for their own honor.
She looked back at the grand building where Blake was inside and was dragged away in despair.
